This invention relates generally to mounting brackets and fixtures adapted for connection as by adhesive attachment to a supporting substrate, wherein the mounting bracket is adapted for quick and easy subsequent mounting of a selected structure such as tubing, wire bundles, etc., relative to the substrate. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved adjustable mounting bracket designed for secure adhesive bond-on attachment to an exposed edge of a substrate, such as mounting onto a rib protruding from the substrate or mounting onto an inner diameter edge of an opening formed in the substrate.
Adhesive attachment assemblies or fixtures and related methods for securing an attachment component or element such as a patch, threaded screw, or other structure onto a supporting surface or substrate are generally known in the art. For example, it may necessary to apply a thin patch to the skin of an aircraft or to the hull of a boat to repair a hole therein. Alternately, it may be desirable to mount a threaded element, such as a threaded stud or nut, or other device onto a substrate such as an aircraft panel without requiring a hole to be made in the substrate, and wherein the threaded element or the like is adapted for subsequent mounting and/or supporting of a selected structure such as tubing, wire bundles, an electrical junction box, or the like. Exemplary attachment assemblies and related attachment fixtures of this general type are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,302,492; 4,338,151; 4,390,576; 4,668,546; 4,778,702; 4,822,656; 4,842,912; 5,013,391; 5,704,747; 5,603,472; 6,727,466 and 6,773,780, all of which are incorporated by reference herein. In these exemplary devices, the attachment component is urged or pressed against the substrate for at least some minimum time period to allow, for example, curing of an adhesive bonding agent such as a curable epoxy or the like to achieve a substantially optimized and secure bond with the substrate.
In other applications, the substrate may include an exposed edge having a position and size for convenient mounting of an attachment component used for subsequent mounting and supporting of tubing, wire bundles, electrical junction boxes, and other structures onto the substrate. For example, in an aircraft interior, a substrate panel may incorporate a standing rib having a thickness and height suitable for mounting the attachment component thereon. Alternately, the substrate panel may have one or more openings such as a lightening hole formed therein with a position and size to form an inner diameter exposed edge defined by the thickness of the substrate panel, wherein this exposed edge provides a convenient site for mounting of the attachment component. However, attachment components designed for adjustable quick and easy connection as by adhesive attachment to the exposed substrate edge have not been available, particularly with respect to accommodating a range of different edge wall thicknesses.
U.S. Publication 2005/0284995, published Dec. 29, 2005, discloses an adjustable mounting bracket for quick and easy attachment to an exposed substrate edge, wherein the mounting bracket carried a threaded member such as a nut or bolt for subsequent mounting of a selected structure such as tubing, wire bundles, etc., relative to the substrate. The adjustable mounting bracket comprises a pair of generally L-shaped bracket members defining a slidably overlying pair of mounting plates and an associated pair of slidably separable clamp jaw plates. A selected adhesive bonding agent is applied to inboard-facing surfaces of the clamp jaw plates which are then pressed firmly against opposed surfaces of the substrate edge for secure bond-on attachment thereto. At the conclusion of a bonding agent cure time, the threaded member is assembled with the selected structure to be supported relative to the substrate.
The present invention is directed to an improved adjustable mounting bracket of the general type disclosed in U.S. Publication 2005/0284995, wherein the mounting plates are retained in slidably overlying relation by a resilient fixture pin. This fixture pin is adapted for actuation to apply a positive force urging the clamp jaw plates into intimate seated engagement with the opposed substrate edges for the duration of the bonding agent cure time, to achieve a substantially optimum strength bonded attachment interface therewith. Thereafter, the fixture pin is adapted for quick and easy forced separation from the mounting bracket.